Things That Make You Go Green

Until recently, hybrids and electric cars have gotten all the love. They get great mileage, have advanced technologies such as regenerative braking and have cool names like “Synergy Drive.” But diesel cars are making a comeback, and that’s a good thing for the environment.

Why? Well they get 25 – 40% better gas mileage and  produce 30% less carbon than regular gas burning cars.

Actually, diesels were never really gone, at least in Europe, where 50% of new cars are diesels. An article in today’s recent New York Times breaks down the key some of the other reasons why:

• Highway mileage and performance are better than hybrids’.
• High torque is well suited to large pickups and S.U.V.’s.
• Extended driving range means less frequent fill-ups.
• Engines are robust, often lasting 300,000 miles or more.

And lest you think of diesels as those smelly old Mercedes from the 80’s that you hate following on the road, things have really changed. First, a 2000 Clinton administration mandate requires that diesel sold in the US is now much cleaner than it used to be – 97% less sulphur than before. Second, there’s a whole slew of emissions equipment that really cleans things up. These include filters to trap soot, and, get this, catalysts that inject urea into the exhaust to convert nitrous oxide into nitrogen and water. Not all cars have this urea injector, but the more sophisticated ones (Mercedes, BMW) do, but the ones that do have this feature need to be refilled.

The combination of these things has diesels looking really good, and car manufacturers from Europe, the US and Asia, including BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen,  Acura, Subaru, Jeep, GM, Ford and Dodge are releasing diesels in the next year or two. If you’re in the market for a car, they are definitely worth another look.